Saranan Airport

Cessation of military necessity. The airport was established as a Royal Air Force (RAF) forward airfield for strategic purposes during World War II. With the end of the war and the departure of British forces from the subcontinent, the airfield became redundant and was decommissioned.

The site is abandoned and derelict. High-resolution satellite imagery clearly shows the remnants of a single, paved runway. The runway and surrounding infrastructure are in a state of severe disrepair and are not maintained. The area is arid and sparsely populated, and there is no evidence of any current aviation or other significant activity at the site. The unofficial ICAO code PK-0023 is used in some databases to identify the location, but it is not an active, officially recognized airport.

Saranan Airport, historically known as RAF Saranan, was a military airfield operated by the British Royal Air Force during the British Raj. Its primary significance was during World War II, where it served as a forward operating location and satellite field in a strategic position near the border with Afghanistan. It supported the main regional airbase, RAF Samungli (now Quetta International Airport). Operations from Saranan would have included reconnaissance flights, border patrols, and providing air support for British Indian Army ground forces stationed along the volatile North-West Frontier. It played a role in the broader Allied effort to secure the region against potential threats during the war.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Saranan Airport. The region's air transport needs are fully met by the nearby Quetta International Airport (IATA: UET, ICAO: OPQT), which is a major, fully operational airport for both civilian and military use. The lack of economic demand and the significant cost required to rebuild the derelict infrastructure make the reactivation of Saranan Airport highly unlikely.